Thwarted (But Only When He Tried)
by 0idontknow0
Summary: Dean's trying to ask Malfoy out.


**Title:** Thwarted (But Only When He Tried)  
**Prompt**: JMDC #92 _thwarted_  
**Rating: ** PG  
**Pairing: ** Dean/Draco  
**Word Count:** ~1050  
**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to J.K. Rowling and publishers. No offense is meant by this fan fiction and this is made purely for fun.  
**Summary: **Dean's trying to ask Malfoy out.

* * *

Today was the day. Dean was going to walk up to Malfoy and ask him on a date.

For months now he had been watching the blond and attempting to coax himself out of his feelings. There was no reason he should have been interested in Malfoy, who was too prickly, too cold and too standoffish. But for some reason though, after his stint at Malfoy Manor during the war, Dean could not stop thinking about him.

Compared to Luna and Ollivander Dean had not been captured for a particularly long time, but it was enough time for him to see sides of Malfoy that he had not expected. Malfoy had snuck them food, even if he did glare at them, as if to warn them to keep their mouths shut about it; had sometimes waited for them to drink their fill of water before he refilled their meagre supply, instead of just topping it off and then leaving; and he had occasionally cast an extra cleaning charm their way.

The trials had come and gone, with Dean and Luna speaking on Malfoy's behalf. They had no doubt shocked the Wizengamot, and Malfoy too by the way he had gaped at them, and then to top it off Harry had gone on the stand as well. Malfoy had been given a number of hours of community service, which he fulfilled by helping to rebuild Hogwarts –and rather diligently in Dean's opinion.

Now they were in eighth year, and had been for almost two months.

Dean spotted Malfoy in the library and took a deep breath before heading in his direction. He was a few feet away when Harry bustled in and sat beside Malfoy as he issued an apology for being late. Dean sighed and changed trajectory.

"Bugger," he grumbled to himself.

Harry and Malfoy would be a while because the former was bollocks at seventh year potions and the latter had taken it upon himself to re-educate him so that he would not cause them to fail, seeing as they had been made Potions partners. Harry was getting better and that was good and all, but not when he was proving an obstacle to Dean.

* * *

Today was the day. Again.

The Eighth year common room looked to be empty save for Malfoy, who was seated in the couch. Dean took a deep breath and walked towards him. The second he opened his mouth to say something though he heard a gasp and a sputter. Zabini's head popped up and head all but glared at Malfoy while the blond snickered to himself.

"Bloody hell, Draco!" Zabini snapped. "I was sleeping. Are you _trying_ to suffocate me?"

"You woke up didn't-"

"For fuck's sake," Dean muttered under his breath, revealing himself to the two Slytherins.

"Thomas, what's got your knickers in a twist?" Zabini asked.

"Nothing, you just... frightened me is all," he said, before continuing right on out of the common room.

* * *

Today was the day. Or it would have been.

For once Malfoy was actually alone, completely and utterly alone. The only thing that was thwarting Dean at the moment was his mates. Did they _really_ need him there to help plan a Muggle-themed Halloween party? He did not think they did. Not when they had Hermione, Harry and a dozen other Muggle-borns to help them.

Dean sighed and continued with making very Muggle, non-moving, non-enchanted decorations with Neville while the others gutted some pumpkins to carve. Hermione's insistence that everything be done without magic was leaking into time he could have used on the very rare opportunity before him.

"You all right, Dean?" Neville asked.

"I'm fine," he said.

Neville did not look like he bought it but he did not say anything else, until five minutes later.

"Mate, you've been drawing over the same line for ages now..." Neville said. "Are you sure you're-"

"I'm fine, Neville," he said, as he glanced in Malfoy's direction.

"Right..."

* * *

Today was not the day. Dean had too much homework doing.

Dean had got ill and missed his Thursday and Friday classes so he was stumped with work. He had spent the better part of Saturday in the library and now that it was closed he sat in the common room attempting to work. The key word being attempting.

He had got Charms notes from Seamus and when he thought about it he realized that Seamus had the most indecipherable note taking system that Dean had ever encountered. He would have asked Hermione for hers but Ron was borrowing them and, well, the boyfriend/best friend came before the friend.

With an exasperated sigh Dean flopped back onto the couch. He winced and removed a book from underneath him before tossing it on the coffee table.

"Still feeling ill?" Neville asked.

"No," he said, as h shook his head. "Seamus' Charms notes are just bollocks is all."

"Uh, well... Malfoy keeps pretty good notes, yeah," Neville said. Dean blinked and propped himself up on his elbows at that. "Malfoy, do you think you could-"

"I'm using my notes, Longbottom," Malfoy said, not looking up.

"Well, you're looking at the same thing, right?" Neville asked. "You can study together."

Malfoy raised his head and looked at them with an assessing gaze. "Why don't you do it?"

"Because... I have to meet up with Hannah," Neville said, before he grabbed his things and got up. He turned his back to Malfoy and gave Dean a wink before he walked off. "Night."

After a very uncomfortable bout of silence Dean decided he might as well say something.

"So is that a no?" he asked. "Because I've little hope in Seamus' notes."

"You want to study with me?" Malfoy asked disbelievingly.

"Yes. I mean, it's not as if I'm opposed to the idea," he said, sitting up. "I _have_ been trying to get you alone to ask you out for a while now-"

"What?" Malfoy asked, blinking.

"Do you want to hang out some time?" he asked. Malfoy only widened his eyes and blinked at Dean. "Right, so that's a- I'll just- I'm going. To my room. Now. Sorry."

"All right," Malfoy said. Dean nodded and hastily began to collect his things. "I'll study with you. And perhaps I wouldn't mind going to the Halloween... thing either."

"What?" Dean asked, shocked still.

"I said yes, Thomas," Malfoy answered. "Now did you want to study or not?"

Apparently today was the day.


End file.
